QSR1834/1/5/37

Depositions of William Wanfor, overseer of Ampthill. Thomas Kingston, constable of Ampthill. In the case of John Page accused of the asssault of a constable.

19 December 1833

From: 1833 To: 1834

William Wanfor: on the night of Saturday 14 December having heard that John Page, in the employment of the parish officers, was drinking in the King’s Head public house in Ampthill. He ordered him to be suspended from his employment. Page came to him on Monday night and he was partially intoxicated. Page asked him if he was going to work for the parish the next day. He said he was not unless he was compelled to employ him. Page replied "I shall not trouble compel you - tomorrow morning I am off to London and you may help yourself". Shortly afterwards he found age in the kitchen drinking with some one. He said to Page that he was his prisoner for vagrancy. He laid hold of Page and sent for the constable. Page struggled and got away from him. Page left the house. When the constable came he ordered him to follow Page and apprehend him for vagrancy. The constable, Thomas Kingston, went but returned shortly after and said Page was at the Sun public house but there were so many there he could not take him into custody. He went with the constable to the Sun public house and saw John Page sitting there and ordered Kingston to take him into custody. Kingston charged some of the people there to assist and then seized Page and took him out of the house. 3 men helped. Page was very violent and when they were a few yards from the house, on the way to the cage, Page kicked Kingston on the legs and threw him down. Seeing this he went up and Page then kicked him on the shin. Kingston got up again and they were moving when one of the men, who had hold of Page, said "He had got his knife out". Soon after Page said that if he could have got his knife out he would have cut his way through them. He did not see Page strike with a knife. He saw Page kick Kingston 3 or 4 times very violently. He saw the Kingston walked lame afterwards. Kingston was very temperate and bore a great deal. Page was in liquor. One of Page’s children was supported in the House of Industry on Page’s complaint that he could not maintain it. Page had for some weeks been employed at the parish’s expense as a surplus labourer. If Page had not wasted his wages in drinking he could have supported all his family without parish relief. Thomas Kingston: he was one of the constables of Ampthill. On Monday night he was sent for Mr Wanfor, the assistant overseer of Ampthill. He went and Mr Wanfor desired him to take John Page into custody. He followed the direction in which he was told Page had gone and found him in the Sun public house. As soon as he went in Page ran out into the back yard. He went after him and told Page he must go with him. Page said he would not come without a summons. He asked 2 men to assist but they did not. He went back to Mr Wanfor and they went together to the Sun. When they went in they saw Page and Mr Wanfor said "Take him into custody". He charged some people to assist him and they took Page out of the house. Page was intoxicated and became violent. A few yards from the cage Page kicked him on the legs 2 or 3 times very violently and threw him down. He was hurt very much and was lame for a day or 2. One of his legs was still swollen. After he had got a little further he saw Page take something out of his pocket which he believed to be a knife. The got him to the case. When he saw to Page that he had a knife, Page replied it was not open or he would have cut his way through. Statement of the accused: he was employed by Mr Mann at the Sun on Monday night. He had been given a good supper and quart of beer. He went to ask Mr Wanfor if he would set him to work the next day. Mr Wanfor said he should not and he replied he would go to London and if he could not support his family he they must. Kingston came ot him afterwards at he Sun and said he wanted him. Kingston then said that he was his prisoner. He did not like to be a prisoner. Mr Wanfor clawed hold of him and his frock tore. He did not wish to go to the cage and Kingston said he should take him to the cage. After he found the overseer and the constable would take him to the cage he resisted them. He was not tipsy. He did not know that he kicked the constable.

item

Page, John,
Wanfor, William,
Kingston, Thomas,
Mann

AMPTHILL, assault, overseers of the poor, constable, Ampthill Kings Head, Ampthill Sun, houses of industry, houses of industry